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February 5, 2005

THE DEBATE ON QE2 CONDITION CONTINUES

The debate continues on the CruiseCritc boards about the state of the QE2 and what is next for the ship - most blame Cunard's owners (carnival):

IDTDAVID: "well, we just got of the Christmas cruise and I have to be honest - the ship is tired. It was my 10th voyage on the QE2 and I am sad to say it was probably my last. Let's face it, the ship is old. It is still elegant, but not as much as it used to be. We refered to our cabin (queens grill) as "Shabby Chic". In it's day it was surely top drawer. It would be very hard to find a cabin that size on a newer ship, but I think I would trade size for comfort.The air conditioning in our cabin and throughout the ship was unpredictable.The staff was better than they were last year, but I feel many of the old timers are burnt out and just waiting for their pensions. So, I would opt for the QM2 for a crossing & Crystal for a cruise.Thats just my opinion"

WINCHESTER: "The ship can still work and be nice to travel on if THEY keep up the repairs. And at this time THEY aren't. When I was on for the latest last trans, the carpets were worn on many areas. The chairs in the Chart Room, and I assume other places, since others mentioned it as well, were losing their covering. Doors in my cabin flapped back and forth because they didn't shut tightly anymore. And then there was the power failure on new years. Stuff like that will happen to an old ship, but that may be a hazzard if something bigger fails."

RICHARD S disagees saying : "I do not know who you have been talking to, but I was on the ship on her December 2004 crossing, and her "state of repair" was excellent. I did not see worn carpeting, nor did I have any trouble with plumbing or A/C. What I did experience was the last real trans-Atlantic ocean liner managing beautifully in Force 8 gales, with 10 to 12 meter waves, without ever reducing speed. It was a wonderful crossing. QE 2 is the last of her kind, a descendant of the Aquitania and Mauretania.

The crew was attentive, the food excellent, and nobody on board was whining about the lack of a climbing wall or the absence of chrome fixtures or strobe lights. People wore tuxedos without referring to them as "Monkey Suits" or complaining about the fact that there were no "denim days" on the ship. If you want a gleaming, Las Vegas hotel avec water, try the Queen Mary 2. You'll love it, and will never be confronted by the possibility you may find a part of the ship that actually looks like... a ship. Jake, you have a couple of years, max, to be one of the last people to experience a classic trans-Atlantic ocean liner, provided you book on the QE2. After that, it's the "Ceasar's Palace on a Hull", courtesy of the Princess Cruise Lines. Do me a favor: book the Queen Mary 2. More room for me and my cigar in the Chart Room on the QE 2."

STOWAYA2k (as always!) does sum up the view of the QE2 fans by writing: "QE2 is an easy target because of her age, and her iconic status. It's human nature to want to trash and target an icon. We see it every day. It's the same as when a star athlete has a bad day, when an actor stars in a bad movie, people are so quick to gleefully trumpet the end of their career.How sad when people are ready to turn their backs. Fair weather friends?

If you want bright, shiny, sparkly new, don't sail QE2. If your style is a brand new mini van rather than a classic Mustang, don't sail QE2. If you strive for that large cookie cutter tract house with the faux facade instead of the older elegance of the historic district of town, don't sail QE2. If you have no sense of adventure, of living for the moment, if you don't understand that newer and bigger does not necessarily mean better, don't sail QE2. If insignificant, minor issues don't ruin your day, if you prefer the real thing to a pretender, then QE2 is still there, waiting for you.Sure, there are only a few years left. Yes, her glory years are over. But QE2 still has something that QM2, and no other ship will ever have. Actually, the internet is ripe with constant complaints about QM2, will she even ever have any glory years."